SDCC Attendees Won't See Hugh Jackman #OneLastTime For WOLVERINE 3 as Fox Reportedly Won't Have a Hall H Panel

There's been a lot of recent talk about how a studio who shows footage at San Diego Comic-Con (or any panel at any Con) should just release it online immediately after, otherwise a few shady fans will find a way to record it and upload it online. It's a product of the state of digital media and the fact that nearly everyone owns a smartphone that can record video.

Some studios have circumvented this issue. When Lucasfilm shows new footage they post it up on YouTube shortly after. While other studios learned this the hard way like when Warner Bros. saw their SUICIDE SQUAD SDCC sizzle reel footage leaked out of Hall H. They, then, uploaded it themselves so fans could see it in high definition instead of being all grainy and shaky. Nowadays, studios who play host to a big crowd to show them "special footage" should have the mentality that they just need to post it themselves.

Some will argue this goes against the fact that hundreds of fans wait in lines for hours (and days) to get into these panels. But technology has removed the fact that new footage is no longer exclusive unless you take away everyone's phone when they enter the room. This isn't a good option either because someone can hide a GoPro camera somewhere on their body and still record footage. Basically, the most logical benefit of being in a panel is to be in the same room as your favorite actors. However, this might not be the case anymore since panels are being live streamed online more and more in recent years.

This brings us to the point of this post because TheWrap is reporting that 20th Century Fox will not have their annual Hall H panel this summer due to piracy concerns. There is one way to still have a panel, which is for the benefit of the fans anyway, and that's to not show any "exclusive footage" or just have that footage ready to post online shortly after. Sure fans want footage but if you're concerned about piracy then just hold a Q&A panel with actors and reveal some cool tidbits, verbally. This is still fun for many fans who want to be in that room.

Finally, not having a Hall H panel means fans won't be able to be in the same room as Wolverine actor Hugh Jackman for #onelasttime — yeah we just used Fox's own hashtag against them, if this report is true — before he ends his run in the role when WOLVERINE 3 releases on March 3, 2017.

Why studios can't see the value of still having a big SDCC panel is unknown, but citing piracy as a reason to not have one is a tub full of weak tea.

Please note: This is all based on a report and Fox has not officially commented on having a Hall H panel at SDCC. Although, every big studio should still have one for the fans whether they show new footage or not.